European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 12, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                X5eep faces continued from Page 19 i eggs develop in each of two wombs. When the babies develop Teeth they eat each other while still inside the Mother and Only two survivors one per uterus Are subsequently born. Because Sharks produce few offspring grow slowly and mature late in life they do not recover rapidly from overfishing and Are extremely vulnerable to mass killing. This is the Root of their survival plight. Like Lions wolves and an array of other predators at the Apex of terrestrial food webs Sharks face Little Competition from animals lower in the Chain the Only thing that eats them is larger Sharks. Except for humans. The asian Market for shark fins which soared in the 1980s, has driven the Price of fins and tails to As High Asby William k. Stevens the new York times the Chance of being killed by a shark in . Waters scientists say is far less than that of 1 dying from a Bee sting a Snake bite or even a lightning Bolt. A a a a. But that does not mean there is no risk. Worldwide there Are probably 50 to 75 shark attacks every year resulting in five to 10 deaths according to the records in the International shark attack file at the Florida museum of natural history in Gainesville. About half the attacks occur off the United states where affluence and Leisure Combine with hundreds of Miles of prime beaches to draw people into the Ocean. Once there they often unwittingly find themselves in or $100 a Pound in the Case of the great White shark the most prize species for soup ingredients. This has Ted to the widely deplored but equally widespread practice of Quot finning Quot a catching Sharks cutting off their fins and dumping the live but helpless bodies Back into the sea. A Strong Market for shark meat has also developed in the United states in recent years but Many Sharks Are killed and wasted when inadvertently caught by fishermen Yuho Are after tuna and other food fish. According to the National Marine fisheries service Large coastal Sharks the group most affected by fishing have been killed in numbers that exceed their reproduction rate in every year since 1987 but 1990. The Peak year was 1989, when an estimated 488,000 Large coastal Sharks were killed. The catch has dropped off somewhat since then to 370,000 in 1991 and probably a Little More this year but killings nevertheless continue to outstrip reproduction suggesting that the population is shrinking. Twenty two species,.including some better known ones fit the category of Large coastal Sharks. Among them Are the great White the Lemon the nurse the Tiger the Sand Tiger the Bull and three species of Hammerhead. The two other categories consist of Small coastal Sharks and Pelagic or High seas Sharks. The Federal assessment does not consider these categories to be. Over fished. A mass removal of Sharks in a Given locality could play havoc with ecological relationships. If an Quot Apex Quot predator Tike the shark is removed its loss could Cascade throughout the food web. A they affect everything below them Quot said or. Robert e. Hueter a shark biologist who directs the federally sponsored Center for shark research at the Mote Laboratory. Quot you a have a very profound shifting Quot of local ecological communities. Some years ago in Tasmania a shark population crashed because of overfishing. As a result octopuses on which the Sharks preyed proliferated and overwhelmed their own prey the spiny lobster. The lobster population crashed and an important commercial fishery with it. Some scientists fear that the same thing could happen soon in Florida where Stone crabs that Are a the basis of a lucrative fishery Are preyed on by -octopuses., which in turn Are eaten by Sharks. A How such cascading effects would ultimately play out is Uncertain. Quot but scientists can Tell you there will be a change Quot said Hueter. And Quot whatever changes take place you be got to learn to live with them for a Long time Quot since it takes decades for a shark population to. Recover from a crash. Conservation efforts Are greatly handicapped by a Lack of detailed information about the ecological effects of shark overfishing and for that matter about the extent of the overfishing itself. In general said Hueter the shark Quot is one of the most difficult animals on the planet to study because its Farge free ranging and  Fox the director of the Marine fisheries service. Attributes the delay in producing a shark conservation plan to Quot poor data on Sharks and shark populations either new data have come out or the science has caught up and caused us to take a new  Fox has declined to specify what the planned shark fishing regulations might require but he indicated that at a minimum they  the practice of finning. The rules could also set bag limits on recreational fishing for Sharks and establish quotas for commercial. Fishermen. A. Fox said any further harm to shark populations caused by the delay in regulations Quot is not something they can to recover from Quot although the regulations might have to be More stringent to make up for lost time. Conservationists and shark scientists say they have run out of patience. Quot we wont tolerate any More inaction Quot said Sonja Fordham fisheries program specialist for the Center for Marine conservation a Washington based research and advocacy group. Quot we re prepared to take Legal action to save Atlantic . Summing up the feelings of Many scientists Gruber a said a a. Quot the hammering that Sharks Are taking simply cannot be sustained. There a so much that a fascinating about Sharks that to have them killed off before we be explored the wonders of their biology and ecology especially in ignorance and just to make a Quick Buck is a  near the primary feeding zone of Large coastal Sharks often near a drop off. Or inshore of a Sandbar where a 1 shark May be trapped at Low tide natural prey tends to congregate in these areas. Almost any shark six feet or longer is a potential assailant but three species have been mainly implicated in reported attacks the great White  shark and the Tiger. All Are found around the world All Are Large and All eat Large prey Tike seals or sea turtles. Some scientists speculate that most shark attacks on humans a except when an air plane crash or the sinking of a ship throws Many people into the water and causes a shark feeding frenzy a Are cases of mistaken identity. Humans Are roughly the same size As seals for instance and seats Are prime prey of the adult great White shark. Sharks frequently adopt a Quot bite and spit Quot tactic. Some scientists believe that a great White for instance attacks its prey with a single bite of its formidable Teeth then backs off so As to avoid possible injury in a struggle and Waits for the prey to go into Shock or bleed to death. Then it moves in and consumes the prey. Rarely if Ever has a shark been known to consume a human. The reason May be that the person is rescued before the shark can Complete its feeding operation or because it recognizes that its unfamiliar victim is not Normal prey and Abandons the attack. But if the shark is big enough and takes a big enough bite the person May die anyway. Some scientists believe that the Advent of smaller Rounder surfboards with Quot a Quot tails since the Early 1970s May provoke some California shark attacks. Viewed from below the Silhouette of a surfer paddling on such a Rick Gruzinsky of Hawaii was unharmed when a great White took a hunk out of his surfboard. Board looks very much like that of a swimming Seal. Experts advise swimmers not to wander too far from assistance to stay in groups and to stay out of the water if bleeding or menstruating  Twilight and after dark when Sharks Are most Active and have an overwhelming sensory advantage. Swimmers Are also urged to refrain from excessive splashing and from wearing shiny jewelry that might simulate the Scales of a prey fish to avoid uneven tanning and Bright coloured clothing since Sharks see contrast very Well to keep pets with their erratic movements out of the water and to avoid areas where fishermen Are Active and bait fish or other signs of feeding activity Are in evidence. Page 20 the stars and stripes tuesday january 12, 1993